The Orionid meteor shower, which can produce bright fireball meteors, is anticipated to reach its peak in UK skies this week. While active throughout most of October, the celestial event is expected to be at its best in the early hours of October 22.
Under clear skies, observers may be able to see between 10 and 20 meteors per hour. The shower will remain visible until November 7 for those in areas with less favourable weather during the peak.
The Orionids are an annual meteor shower resulting from debris left by Halley's comet. As Earth passes through this comet dust each year, the debris burns up in the atmosphere, creating bright streaks of light.
These meteors are fast and bright, entering the atmosphere at around 41 miles per second, and can produce long glowing trails and fireballs. To view them, finding a dark spot away from city light pollution and allowing eyes to adjust for 20 minutes is recommended, as no specialist equipment is needed.
The meteors will appear to originate from the constellation of Orion, near the star Betelgeuse. The Moon will be in a waxing gibbous phase on the night of October 21, which may reduce visibility, but conditions are expected to improve after the Moon sets around 03:00 BST on Thursday morning.
Despite forecasts for a wet and windy week, a brief ridge of high pressure could bring clear spells for many parts of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland during the second half of Wednesday night into Thursday morning. Western Scotland may also experience some clear skies for a period.